Japanese Beyond Words: How to Walk and Talk Like a Native Speaker

Rating:
Summary: I don't believe the book lives up to its title
Review: I was assigned to read this several years ago as part of a Japanese culture class. Although the title looks promising, I did not find very much useful information in the book. Any of the insight into Japanese culture or language given in the book could was easily surpassed by the course's other reading requirements, including "Learning to Bow" and "The Accidental Office Lady," which were also far more entertaining.

I feel that the sub-title sums up the author's frequently arrogant tone of writing, inferring that this book will help one "Walk and Talk Like a Native Speaker." After reading the book I felt that that title was nothing more than a marketing strategy to entice students and others seeking an understanding of Japan into buying the book.

Unless this book is assigned as a reading requirement, I do not recommend getting it, especially for those considering the book because of its proud title.

Rating:
Summary: Great book. Only needed the first three words of the title.
Review: If you read the title and expected the book to deliver on making you into a native Japanese, well, you'll be disappointed. Any claim like that should be taken with a grain of salt. I thought the book was great. The only thing it lacked was more content. This book could have been twice it's size. It may have also been better in an encyclopedic format for more ease of reading. It's written by a guy who knows what he's talking about, given his education, years and years of living and working in Japan, and his involvement in foreign language enducation politics.

Rating:
Summary: Japanese Beyond Words - a book beyond belief!
Review: Just when you thought you knew Japanese, "Japanese Beyond Words" steps in to explain just what you really don't know -- and what you need to know if you expect to make it socially in Japan. The advice in this book, presented to the reader through a series of mini-essays, is valuable in ways that I can't explain here. Only after reading the last letter of the text are you able to truly appreciate just what Mr. Horvat has revealed to you. You'll learn about body language, behavior, linguistic oddities, and the things which you shouldn't say and do while in Japan. Advice is given on dozens of topics... advice that I think no one should dare ignore before entering Japan. I most enjoyed the section on selecting a school in which to learn Japanese.

The book will undoubtedly be most helpful to those who have been through formal instruction of Japanese and are looking for a well-written compilation of "the extras" -- the things which aren't taught in school but really come in handy while you're actually out there dealing with the language and culture first-hand. But people with even a mild interest in Japan and its people (not necessarily the language) will appreciate the cultural insight the book provides. It's truly a book for anyone with any level of interest in Japan.

Read "Japanese Beyond Words" and you'll invariably come to one conclusion: there's more to Japan than you could ever hope to learn in a classroom.